Jen Psaki to Testify in House Foreign Affairs Committee’s Afghanistan Withdrawal Probe

[Social Media]

 

In a significant development, Jen Psaki, the former press secretary for President Joe Biden, has agreed to participate in an interview with the House Foreign Affairs Committee. This comes as part of the committee's ongoing investigation into the U.S. military's chaotic exit from Afghanistan. The agreement was confirmed through a letter from Psaki's lawyer to the panel, obtained by Axios, indicating that Psaki will appear for a transcribed interview on July 26, accompanied by her personal counsel and representatives from the White House counsel's office.

 

The investigation, led by Rep. Michael McCaul, a Republican from Texas and chair of the committee, is expected to culminate in a comprehensive report on the U.S. troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, set to be released before the November 5 election. This report is anticipated to contain politically sensitive information, especially concerning the tragic deaths of 13 U.S. soldiers during a bombing at Kabul airport. The committee's probe has already revealed notable inconsistencies between the Biden administration's public statements and the realities on the ground during the withdrawal.

 

The decision for Psaki to testify follows a protracted negotiation process that began last fall. McCaul had initially contacted Psaki's team in September 2023, but the dialogue stalled until Axios highlighted discrepancies in Psaki's recent memoir regarding the withdrawal. This renewed McCaul’s determination, leading to the White House counsel's office eventually granting authorization for Psaki’s participation. The office stated that the request “raises serious separation-of-powers and Executive Branch confidentiality issues” but agreed to the interview as an “extraordinary accommodation.”

 

The committee plans to scrutinize any potential differences between what the White House knew privately and what it communicated publicly. The investigation has already uncovered significant infighting and contradictions among top Biden officials during the withdrawal. U.S. generals have publicly criticized the State Department's handling of the exit, with former Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Mark Milley stating, “The fundamental mistake, the fundamental flaw was the timing of the State Department. That was too slow and too late.” This criticism directly challenges the administration's narrative at the time.

 

Additionally, the inquiry has called into question President Biden's assertions about the advice he received during the withdrawal. Under repeated questioning in 2021, Biden told ABC News that “no one” had suggested he should keep 2,500 troops in Afghanistan. However, Gen. Milley testified before the committee that he had indeed advised the president to maintain that number of troops, highlighting a significant discrepancy in the administration’s account.

 

As Psaki prepares to provide her testimony, the committee's findings could shed further light on the internal conflicts and decision-making processes during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan. This could have substantial implications for the political landscape as the nation approaches the upcoming election. The investigation aims to provide a clearer understanding of the events that led to the chaotic exit and ensure accountability for the decisions made during this critical period.

 

Credit: AXIOS 2024-07-03

 

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[spidermike007]

This was perhaps the greatest single mistake of Biden's presidency thus far. Granted Trump did set this in motion, but Biden could have slowed it down and made sure that our equipment and the Afghan translators were able to get out in time, the way it was handled was an abomination and very shameful for America. 

 

How can we be trusted if we just abandon people who put their lives on the line after we've made them what they consider to be a sincere promise? 

[placnx]

9 hours ago, Social Media said:

U.S. generals have publicly criticized the State Department's handling of the exit, with former Joint Chiefs chair Gen. Mark Milley stating, “The fundamental mistake, the fundamental flaw was the timing of the State Department. That was too slow and too late.”

It's about time that the State Department be reformed. Their doddering bureaucracy is not fit to handle a humanitarian crisis of the magniture of the Afghan debacle. Maybe it needs a unit that can respond by cutting through the endless hurdles to get the job done early with time to spare. It would need power to override resistance from the ninnies higher up, to communicate and coordinate directly with military and intelligence.

[JonnyF]

Another one of Biden's screw ups. Followed by more Biden lies. 

 

Not wholly unexpected though, given the US tendency to grow bored/give up on military operations when it all gets a bit too difficult.  

[placnx]

17 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This was perhaps the greatest single mistake of Biden's presidency thus far. Granted Trump did set this in motion, but Biden could have slowed it down and made sure that our equipment and the Afghan translators were able to get out in time, the way it was handled was an abomination and very shameful for America. 

 

How can we be trusted if we just abandon people who put their lives on the line after we've made them what they consider to be a sincere promise? 

Biden should have set to work after the 2000 election to have a plan in place. Unfortunately, bureaucrats on the ground seem to have been in a bubble until provinces started falling day after day. It was much too late by then.

 

I think that the writing was on the wall as early as 2006 that it was only a matter of time before the Taliban returned to power.

[Eric Loh]

34 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

This was perhaps the greatest single mistake of Biden's presidency thus far. Granted Trump did set this in motion, but Biden could have slowed it down and made sure that our equipment and the Afghan translators were able to get out in time, the way it was handled was an abomination and very shameful for America. 

 

How can we be trusted if we just abandon people who put their lives on the line after we've made them what they consider to be a sincere promise? 

Got to factor in the deadline for withdrawal agreed by Trump and the Taliban. Biden slowed the withdrawal by almost 4 months of the withdrawal deadline. The agreement has to be complied. Taliban may react differently if the deadline not kept. There is also a worry that the Taliban was building up their force and may reneged on the agreement. There were constrains put up by Trump’s sloppy agreement. 

[spidermike007]

28 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Got to factor in the deadline for withdrawal agreed by Trump and the Taliban. Biden slowed the withdrawal by almost 4 months of the withdrawal deadline. The agreement has to be complied. Taliban may react differently if the deadline not kept. There is also a worry that the Taliban was building up their force and may reneged on the agreement. There were constrains put up by Trump’s sloppy agreement. 

That was fairly typical, and if you really examine it, every agreement that Trump agreed to was sloppy, poorly thought out, and badly negotiated.

 

That's just who is, he's a terrible negotiator. Always has been, the book "the art of negotiation", was just another in his long line of scams. 

[nauseus]

10 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

That was fairly typical, and if you really examine it, every agreement that Trump agreed to was sloppy, poorly thought out, and badly negotiated.

 

That's just who is, he's a terrible negotiator. Always has been, the book "the art of negotiation", was just another in his long line of scams. 

 

Why use quotation marks when you got the name of the book when wrong already? It was called The Art of the Deal.

 

The Taliban broke the Doha agreement by harbouring terrorist leaders. I agree that the agreement was weak but as it was already invalid due to Taliban activity, Biden was free to ignore it and delay the withdrawal to allow all people and equipment time to be pulled out.  

[rice555]

2 hours ago, Eric Loh said:

Got to factor in the deadline for withdrawal agreed by Trump and the Taliban. Biden slowed the withdrawal by almost 4 months of the withdrawal deadline. The agreement has to be complied. Taliban may react differently if the deadline not kept. There is also a worry that the Taliban was building up their force and may reneged on the agreement. There were constrains put up by Trump’s sloppy agreement. 

The Trump agreement was changed by Joe, not the same as the original deal. Joe thought he was the man in-charge. He changed drilling, boarder and other policies that are now showing the harm

is had at the helm has done. 555555555555555 

[Eric Loh]

21 minutes ago, rice555 said:

The Trump agreement was changed by Joe, not the same as the original deal. Joe thought he was the man in-charge. He changed drilling, boarder and other policies that are now showing the harm

is had at the helm has done. 555555555555555 

There was no change to the agreement by Joe. You can post a link to refute. However we can criticize Biden for not re-negotiating the agreement. But there again it can be argue that Biden had little leverage to re-negotiate. Pulling out of the agreement might have forced him to send thousand more in. He already committed in televised address that he will not send more merican troops to Afghanistan. 

[wwest5829]

4 hours ago, placnx said:

It's about time that the State Department be reformed. Their doddering bureaucracy is not fit to handle a humanitarian crisis of the magniture of the Afghan debacle. Maybe it needs a unit that can respond by cutting through the endless hurdles to get the job done early with time to spare. It would need power to override resistance from the ninnies higher up, to communicate and coordinate directly with military and intelligence.

Right! What we need is someone to cut through the laws and regulations and get things done. History has shown if you want action a dictator gets things done in a hurry! Bring DJ Trump to office, he will get things done … to hell with “diplomacy, the USA has the strongest military in the world, what Trump says goes! Yes, the danger is real … but I say the above with tongue firmly in cheek.